


No More, No Less

by ABrighterDarkness



Series: Tony Stark Bingo [10]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Arranged Marriage, Alternate Universe - Royalty, Arranged Marriage, F/F, M/M, Natasha Romanov & Tony Stark Friendship, Natasha Romanov Feels, Negotiations, Other, POV Steve Rogers, Secret Identity, Secret Relationship, Steve Rogers & Natasha Romanov Friendship, Steve Rogers Feels, Tony Stark Feels
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-16
Updated: 2020-08-13
Packaged: 2021-03-04 05:00:12
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,246
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24747982
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ABrighterDarkness/pseuds/ABrighterDarkness
Summary: His father had been discussing it again, amongst his advisers. He was barely eighteen , what did he need of a wife at eighteen? Frankly, he was already tired of hearing about it. Tired of meeting the daughters of the various men that were deemed important enough.  None of them had caught his attention in the least and he suspected that they never would.  Not when his daydreams already consisted of intelligent brown eyes, rich brown curls and a wickedly charming grin.-----------------------------------Written for:Tony Stark Bingo (Card 3089): A4 - RoyaltyNatasha Bingo: B1 - Arranged Marriage AU(Later chapter) Bucky Barnes Bingo: U4 - AU: Royalty
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes & Steve Rogers, Natasha Romanov & Tony Stark, Steve Rogers & Natasha Romanov, Steve Rogers/Tony Stark, pre-Natasha Romanov/Pepper Potts
Series: Tony Stark Bingo [10]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1599133
Comments: 8
Kudos: 32
Collections: Natasha Bingo, Tony Stark Bingo 2020





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Title: No More, No Less  
> Collaborator Name: ABrighterDarkness  
> Card Number:3089  
> Link (Tumblr, Dreamwidth, Pillowfort, DeviantArt, etc.):  
> Square Filled (Letter/number AND prompt): A4 - Royalty  
> Ship/Main Pairing: Steve/Tony, Steve&Natasha  
> Rating: E  
> Major Tags:  
> Summary:  
> His father had been discussing it again, amongst his advisers. He was barely eighteen , what did he need of a wife at eighteen? Frankly, he was already tired of hearing about it. Tired of meeting the daughters of the various men that were deemed important enough. None of them had caught his attention in the least and he suspected that they never would. Not when his daydreams already consisted of intelligent brown eyes, rich brown curls and a wickedly charming grin.  
> Word Count: 4059

”Maybe we should just marry, ” Steve groaned. His father had been discussing it again, amongst his advisers. He was barely eighteen , what did he need of a wife at eighteen? Frankly, he was already tired of hearing about it. Tired of meeting the daughters of the various men that were deemed important enough. None of them had caught his attention in the least and he suspected that they never would. Not when his daydreams already consisted of intelligent brown eyes, rich brown curls and a wickedly charming grin.

Mostly, he was quite done with hearing Howard Stark bemoaning his son’s many perceived faults while claiming his multitude of accomplishments for his own. 

But that was another matter entirely. 

Natasha scoffed, drawing him back from his wandering thoughts, ”You wouldn't want to marry me, Rogers.”

”I’m not sure that I would want to marry any woman,” Steve shrugged. ”I have to. I know that. And I know that you're the best woman I know. At least I already know that I can love you.”

“Even if I agreed, your father never would,” Natasha countered. “Marrying me wouldn’t bring anything of value.”

“Marrying you would bring  _ you, _ Tash,” Steve frowned. ”You’re worth at least ten of everyone else that's being discussed.”

”You’re sweet, ” she smirked. ”But that's not how the politics work and we both know it. Besides, if I have it my way I won't ever be anyone's wife.”

”I don't think either of us are going to be lucky enough to get our way, Natasha, ” Steve sighed, head falling back against his chair.

”You’re probably right, ” Natasha agreed. She was silent for several long moments and Steve let his mind wander once again. He was drawn from his thoughts by a small foot nudging his thigh. ”If ever we get to the point where neither of us have a better option, then?” She suggested.

“Yes,” Steve agreed. “If it comes to that, I would be honored to marry you, Natasha.” He wasn’t surprised when she rolled her eyes and snorted a laugh at him. It just made him smile. 

He didn’t give much thought to the conversation after that. Not when barely a month later saw Tony in Steve’s bed for the first—but certainly not the last—time and all thoughts of potential wives became the last thing he even wanted to consider. Not when illness swept through, devastating the kingdom the following winter. Hundreds were lost throughout the city and outlying villages. The King and Howard Stark both succumbed to the illness and Steve witnessed how weakened it had left his mother, had sat with her in the weeks following and watched as complications slowly stole her away as well. In the midst of it all, Steve was crowned, marriage discussions were placed on indefinite hold, and he was left to help his devastated country recover. 

Steve had known though that no matter how hard he tried to push it off for as long as possible, at some point the discussions would begin again and he would be required to marry. To find a suitable wife and, in time, consider an heir. It was expected and while Steve generally balked against expectations, he knew that wasn’t one he could get away with ignoring permanently. It was as much a responsibility to the kingdom and the people he protected as it was an expectation.

And, even when he hated it, Steve Rogers was a man who took his responsibilities seriously.

In the end, Steve’s grace period lasted just over four years. He had managed to draw out discussions for an additional year but knew his time was coming to an end. 

He couldn’t help but think himself incredibly relieved when he received a missive from one of the Nobleman's households with a request to meet. Steve knew that crisp, elegant handwriting. He immediately sent his acceptance and an arrangement for a private meeting. His relief instantly began to combine with regret, fear for the unknown, and a deep sense of sadness. With a sigh, he departed his study to make his way to his quarters where, if he was truly in luck, Tony was already waiting. 

A different sort of relief washed over him when he quietly closed the door behind him, his eyes catching on various items scattered throughout that marked Tony’s existence in his life. The sturdy shoes kicked off next to the door and the jacket that indicated the positions of both engineer and advisor hanging haphazardly by a sleeve on the hook. The stack of plans--for what, Steve wasn’t quite sure he would ever fully comprehend--spread across the table that sat between the comfortable couch and the crackling fireplace and the large, sturdy cup that was still half-full and undoubtedly cool pushed off to the right. Books and journals that had made it onto the shelves that hold Steve’s own small, personal collection that he knew the titles but hadn’t read.

Steve smiled and stepped out of his own shoes, his own jacket carefully hung beside Tony’s. With quiet steps, he moved through the sitting room to the door that led to the bedroom, his smile only grew and softened when he found Tony settled in his bed, back against the large headboard, head bowed over yet another stack of plans that may be related to the ones left out on the table or something entirely different. Steve wouldn’t know. 

Tony looked up when Steve closed the door behind him and returned his smile, “Hello, gorgeous.”

Steve huffed a quiet, fond chuckle and closed the short distance in a few strides, returning the greeting with a soft kiss. For that brief moment, all of the stress and worry about the coming weeks and what they might mean faded leaving him free to focus solely on the soft press of Tony’s lips. Steve slowly broke the kiss and pressed another brief one to his forehead as he stood upright again. Tony carefully restacked his work as Steve undressed for the night, feeling some of the day’s weariness ease with each article he removed. 

Tony had tucked everything away and was watching him appreciatively and expectantly by the time he had finished. Steve didn’t even feign bashfulness at the look. He couldn’t. Not when they had been together as long as they had. Not when he had decided years ago that he wouldn’t hide away from Tony, that Tony got everything he could possibly have to give. Instead, he slowly settled onto the bed beside him and stretched out with a relieved groan. Steve extended the arm nearest Tony in an invitation that Tony accepted with a pleased smile. 

“Missed you today,” Steve murmured against the beautifully familiar brown curls at the crown of his head once Tony had settled against his side, head resting comfortably in the hollow of Steve’s shoulder and one leg thrown across Steve’s thighs.

He could feel the shifting of Tony’s expression against his chest that suggested another smile. “Missed you too,” Tony replied. “Long day?”

Steve hummed in confirmation and sighed, “Heard back from the scouts. It could be nothing but...I can’t explain it.” Didn’t want to, either. The intel, while valuable, was daunting in its own right.

“Yeah, I don’t think it’s nothing either,” Tony agreed solemnly. “I’ve already set the labs and the smiths to begin development and the work should begin on the outer defenses by the end of the week.”

Steve nodded, that feeling of relief that they were, as usual, on the same page on this probable threat and that Tony had done his Tony-thing and begun taking care of whatever he could. He pressed a kiss to Tony’s hair, nuzzling affectionately, “I don’t doubt that it will be terrifyingly efficient, no matter what it turns out to be.”

“Flattery will get you everywhere,” Tony said with a small laugh, tilting his head back and stretching upward to steal a soft kiss before resettling back into his previous position. “What else?”

Steve found himself hesitating a moment, the fear and regret and sadness overcoming him once again. ‘What else’ encompassed so much currently and much of it he didn’t want to think on let alone put words to. He took a slow, deep breath and sighed in resignation the most relevant, at least, he could offer in the confidence given. “I received a meeting request from Natasha.”

“Oh,” was all Tony said. Even with the years of learning and growing together, Steve had a difficult time placing the tone on such a brief statement. “You’ve accepted?”

“Yeah,” Steve admitted reluctantly. “Yeah, I’ve arranged a private meeting in town for tomorrow evening.”

Tony was quiet long enough that Steve had begun to worry, desperate to know what sort of things were circling through that beautiful, terrifyingly brilliant mind. Slowly, Tony relaxed more fully against him, his chest a long firm line pressed flush against Steve’s body. He shifted enough to press a firm kiss against Steve’s chest and Steve exhaled slowly in relief when all Tony asked was, “Do you think she’ll go for it?” 

“I think that it could be an ideal arrangement,” Steve shrugged. “The best we could hope for without it being you. We’re both under pressure to marry and she’s told me about her potential suitors. I would hate to see her sent off to any one of them.”

“That bad?”

“They wouldn’t appreciate her nature,” Steve said carefully, his arms automatically tightening around Tony. “I know them, Tony. I’ve had to deal with them. They would do their best to destroy that fire, to force her to be demure and submissive.”

Tony snorted in amusement, “I’d have to wish them luck with that.”

“Yeah,” Steve agreed with a small smirk. “That doesn’t mean they wouldn’t hurt her while trying though.”

“It would keep you safe too,” Tony pointed out. “I’ve seen some of the audience requests that have come in.”

“ _ We _ would be safe too,” Steve said quietly. That had been one of his biggest worries when it came to the expectation to find a suitable wife. Tony would never be allowed to fill that role. He was many things. Frighteningly intelligent, loyal to Steve and to the kingdom to a fault, and Steve’s lover for years. The one thing he wasn’t, however, was a woman and as far as the rules of the kingdom were concerned, that made all the difference.

For all the demands that he marry and rule properly, he wouldn’t be permitted to marry Tony the way he dreamed of doing in the secret-kept corners of his mind. Tony would be his closest advisor, the best engineer that the entire kingdom relied upon, but as far as public knowledge was concerned, that was all he would or could be. It made Steve’s heart ache just to think of it. Thankfully, Tony understood, had always understood. More so than Steve had, even.

They each had roles they were expected to play and they had a responsibility to play them to perfection. And so, one way or another, Steve would marry someone who wasn’t Tony and if he were truly lucky the beginning of his marriage wouldn’t mark the end of their story as well.

“Natasha, she knows,” Steve hesitantly reminded him. “She’s known from the start about you and me. We’ll be able to be okay, Tony.” 

“Did you want me to come with you?” Tony asked quietly, fingers drawing idle designs over Steve’s chest as he didn’t bother to respond to the second half of the statement.

“You could, if you want,” Steve offered, his own hand stroking over the warm skin of Tony’s back left exposed by the blanket settled around his hips. “You know you’re always welcome. Tasha wouldn’t mind. She might actually prefer if we were both there.”

“You trust her? I-I mean, I know that I’ve met her and I like her but this is--” Tony cut himself off and sighed. “This is different.”

“I trust Natasha my life, maybe only slightly less than I trust you, Tony,” Steve promised. “She’s safe.”

“Okay,” Tony sighed, curling in closer against Steve’s side. “I trust you. And I know none of us really have much choice in this. I-I agree that this is probably the best option we’ve got so I’ll trust her.”

“I’d give anything to be allowed that with you,” Steve confessed, speaking quietly against the top of Tony’s head. 

“Yeah,” Tony sighed. 

“I’d give it all up, you know,” he added, just as quietly as before, air thick with the weight secret confessions between lovers spoken only in the dark of night. “If you ever asked. I’d leave it all behind. I wouldn’t even have to think about it. We would just find a night like this where everything is peaceful and quiet and just...go. Disappear and just be us.”

“I’ll never ask that,” Tony said firmly. “You’re capable of so much good here, Steve. It’s where you belong. You rule beautifully and so  _ kindly _ in a way neither of our fathers could ever have managed had they had the desire to try. This...this whole marriage thing it...burns and I hate it, yes. I would  _ love _ to keep you to myself, all mine. But I love you more than I hate the situation. I would never ask it of you.”

“Sometimes I wish you would,” Steve admitted. “Days when I let myself acknowledge my own selfishness. The want to be just your Steve and not everyone’s King. To keep you and  _ this _ just to myself.”

“That’s what these nights are for, my love,” Tony responded softly. “Here, together like this. There’s no airs, no formalities, just you and me. Just my Steve. Just the way you’ve always been, the way  _ we’ve _ always been.”

“I love you, Tony,” Steve murmured, heart clenching painfully at Tony’s soothing words. “I’m...afraid? That this will be one thing too much. I’ve got no right to ask you to watch me take a wife and still love me anyway and I know it.”

“Oh,” Tony said, though this time Steve was able to hear the amused chuckle that laced the single syllable. “You, Steve Rogers, are rather stuck with me. Haven’t you learned that by now? I find that even a wife would be hard pressed to pry me from your side.”

“Good,” Steve said with a small smile, reaching across to lift Tony’s chin with a fingertip and kissed him softly. He sighed into the kiss when Tony’s hand skated up his chest to sink into his hair and pull him closer. Steve knew they should probably sleep. The next few days, if not weeks, were likely to be taxing on both of them. But at the teasing touch of Tony’s tongue against his lips, Steve swiftly rolled them until Tony was pinned beneath him, his hand sweeping down Tony’s side to catch the underside of Tony’s thigh and hooking the long leg over his own hip and swallowing down the soft, startled laughter. 

Sleep could wait a while longer. 

%%%

The private meeting went about how she was expecting. Steve had arrived alone, leaving his guard and advisors behind with the assurance that he would be able to fend for himself for a few short hours. Natasha didn’t suspect that they approved of his solo travels but Steve Rogers had always and would always do what suited him regardless of overbearing concern.

She smirked in amusement when he entered the small room off of the back of the inn, dressed simply and unassumingly in order to travel through the city without recognition. He quickly removed the unadorned travelling cloak and draped it over the back of a chair rather than hanging it like he ought to. Not that she was surprised, she had known him far too many years to be surprised by anything he did. Or said, for that matter.

The bright grin he shot her before pulling her from her seat and hugging her tightly in greeting wasn’t a surprise either. It still warmed her in ways she would never admit. 

“Tash,” he said as he released her from the embrace, his large hands cupped lightly over her shoulders. “It’s good to see you.”

“You too,” she said with a small smile. They settled opposite each other at the small table, digging into the food that Natasha had sent back when she had arrived. “How are things?”

His expression twisted into a weary frown and he shrugged, “Alright, I suppose. The scouts we have keeping an eye out up North have been sending some disturbing reports but nothing concrete. Bucky and Sam are preparing for the worst and arguing about the best way to do that.”

Natasha nodded absently, pushing her own food away and setting back into her chair, “I’ve heard that you’re getting pressure too?”

Steve eyed her for a moment before copying her actions, pushing his plate away and leaning back into his chair with a sigh. “Yeah,” he agreed with another weary sigh. “I’ve put it off as long as I could but...Tash…”

“Are you sure this is what you want, Steve? You know the sort of baggage I bring along.”

The man huffed a quiet laugh and shot a small, affectionate smile. “Tash if this is what it takes to keep us both safe and happy then I’d gladly marry you a hundred times over, baggage or no,” he swore quietly. “It’s not like I don’t love you, you know. We talked about this years ago.”

“I know,” she sighed. Steve reached across the table to take her hand, using the gentle grip to pull her from her chair and around the table. Natasha shot him an amused glance but went easily, folding into his lap, his arms around her waist and her head resting against his chest just like they had done since they were children, when Steve was a boy barely a quarter of the size of the man he had become and Natasha had still felt tiny next to him. Natasha thought that, perhaps to an outsider, their closeness without any sort of romantic designs might be odd. It might be considered inappropriate to those outside of the ones that knew them best. In fact, their closeness had always been discouraged by those who thought they knew better. She knew, now, that the only reason she had been permitted to continue evolving their relationship was for the plots and gains of others who sought to manipulate Steve by way of their friendship. 

It was good that neither she nor Steve--nor their closest friends, for that matter--truly subscribed to what may or may not be appropriate beyond their own consciences. It was also good that those who might use this marriage as a platform for manipulation were no longer a concern.

Natasha supposed that it really wouldn’t matter by the week’s end, if all went to plan. It wouldn’t be inappropriate for a husband to hold onto his wife, would it? Even if he was the ruler. It wasn’t, and would never be, the romance that would probably cycle through the city’s gossip channels but that was more than fine. It hadn’t been a secret dalliance since their youth. Steve hadn’t shyly courted her. They hadn’t been bashfully dancing around the idea of marriage for years. They were who they were, no more and no less.

“What about Tony?” Natasha asked, tipping her head back so that she could study his reactions more clearly. He had always been an open book to her, had never attempted to conceal his thoughts or feelings. She had always appreciated that about him, that he would talk to her openly, take her seriously, and respect her perspectives in a way so many men would scoff at.

Steve smiled fondly, “Tony wants us both safe and happy, Tash. I think he’d prefer you over just about anyone but himself.”

“You’ve spoken to him about this, discussed it properly, right?” She prodded. It wouldn’t be the first time he ran with an idea or plan without taking the time to share it with those who would support him or otherwise would have the sense to try to talk him out of it.

“Yes, we’ve discussed it,” Steve answered, rolling his eyes. “We’ve spoken a lot about it and discussed every piece. You know that I trust Tony and your advice above nearly anyone else’s.”

“At least you’ve stopped taking Barnes’s suggestions as gold,” Natasha muttered.

Steve just laughed, “I never did take them as gold, Tash. They just sounded fun so I let him think that.”

“Right,” she scoffed in amusement. “I believe that. Really, I do.” His fingers dug into her side and Natasha failed to bite back all of the surprised laughter, digging her elbow into his abdomen in retaliation. 

“What about you?” Steve asked quietly when they had calmed.

“What about me?” Natasha asked with a small frown.

“Are you sure that this is what  _ you _ want?” He asked, one hand lifting to tuck her hair behind her ear while the other held her close.

“What I  _ want _ is to not have to marry at all,” Natasha shrugged. “That isn’t an option anymore and I’m pretty sure that it never was.”

“I know, I’m sorry,” he frowned. “I’d ensure that for you, if I could.”

“I know,” she said with a wry smile. “I know you would. But I think that all things considered this,  _ you, _ are my best option. We’ve always known it. At least this way I could...I could be happy.”

“We’re in agreement then,” Steve said after a moment. “Tomorrow you should come to the castle. I’ll have a formal invitation sent as soon as I get back that way we can do this the right way that protects both of us. I don’t think that it’s safe to consider putting it off longer than we already have.”

“Right,” she agreed, taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly. She went on to warn, “It’s going to make a lot of people very unhappy, you know that right? More so than they already are.”

“It’ll be alright, Tash,” Steve soothed, broad palm stroking up and down her back. “We’ve got each other, how could it be anything but?”

“It’ll be different though, won’t it?” She asked. “I won’t be your best friend anymore, Steve, I’ll be your  _ wife. _ I don’t even know  _ how _ to be a wife let alone all of the other inevitable responsibilities that will come with it. Surprisingly, that was never part of my education.”

“First off, you will  _ always  _ be my best friend before anything else, ” he corrected firmly. ”And as for the rest of it, that's what you’ll have Tony and me for,” Steve pointed out. “And you know that you’re more than welcome to have your own advisors and attendees, right? I wouldn’t want you to have to be fully reliant on me. Neither of us would be happy with that.”

They fell silent for several long moments, lost in their own thoughts and taking in the gentle calm that the comfortable contact allowed them. Steve’s arms tightened around her and then released, carefully steadying her by the waist as she got to her feet. When he was certain that she had her footing, Steve stood as well with a sigh. 

“I should go,” he said softly. “I need to make sure that everything is in order for tomorrow and get preparations in place around the castle.”

“I’ll be looking for the invitation,” Natasha nodded and went on to shakily promise. “I’ll be there.”

“We’ll get through this, Tasha,” Steve said, squeezing her hand gently. “Anything you need, please let me know. I don’t...this shouldn’t be a burden on you. Anything I can do to ease this whole thing for you, please ask. Anything at all.”

“I will,” she agreed, rising up onto her tiptoes to press a kiss to his cheek before turning to gather her own traveling gear. She waited patiently as Steve threw his own cloak over his shoulders and drew the hood back over his head. 

“Be safe, Tasha,” he said seriously as he headed toward the door. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow,” she agreed.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is for Bucky Barnes Bingo sqaure U4- AU: Royalty

Steve sat at the round table that took up the majority of the left side of his study, the desk occupied the other half, nearest the large panelled window. Tony sat to his right, both a comforting presence and a painful reminder of what this meeting was intended for. The sound of two sets of soft footsteps approached the door and there was a soft but firm knock. Steve cleared his throat anxiously and called out a shaky “Enter.”

Tony squeezed his hand gently in understanding as they rose to their feet respectfully when the door swung open to reveal a slightly pale-faced Natasha escorted by Pepper Potts. That had been a good choice, Steve thought shooting a glance to his side and seeing Tony’s small smile. Of course it was, Tony was good at those.

Steve rounded the table to greet the women, accepting a gentle hug from Natasha. When he released the hug and took a step back, he turned his attention to Pepper. “Would you be so kind as to join us, Ms Potts?”

“Of course, Sir,” she agreed immediately, turning to close the door behind them and securing the lock to ensure some degree of privacy. 

“Please, have a seat,” Steve encouraged as he retook his own, feeling ridiculously awkward when all three waited until he had settled before taking their own. He cleared his throat again, “I know these are technically supposed to be official discussions but I think it would be best if we left formalities out of it for today.”

“You’re wanting to ditch airs and formalities?” Natasha smirked in mock-disbelief. “Whoever would have guessed.”

“I just don’t want this to be more awkward and uncomfortable than it has to be, Tasha,” Steve said softly. “Let’s save that for when we’re required to be visible.”

“Pardon me,” Pepper interjected, uncharacteristic nervousness in her tone. “Are you certain that I should be here for this, Sir?”

“I am,” Steve said easily. “Natasha needs someone here who I can trust to have  _ her _ best interests in these discussions as stridently as Tony will have mine. There aren’t many I would be able to trust to support her in the way that I expect and she deserves.” 

He glanced at Natasha with a reassuring smile, “You have your own voice, always. I just thought it might help outside of this room to have someone else in your corner. I trust Ms Potts to be able to be that for you. She is one of the most capable women I know.” Natasha looked to the other woman for a moment, the familiar considering look in her eye. After a long moment, she met Steve’s gaze evenly and gave a subtle nod in acceptance. 

Steve turned his attention back to Pepper and tilted his head in question, “Is this a role that you feel you are capable of filling, Ms Potts?”

Steve wasn’t sure if it was the way he had phrased it, almost as a challenge, or the simple fact of being personally selected for the role, or Pepper Potts natural inclination to dedicate herself fully to whatever task was deemed priority but he could see the changes in her body language that hinted at her acceptance before she even spoke. Her posture straightened and shifted ever so slightly. Shoulders squared, her chin lifted and she met his eye head on. “Yes, Sir.”

“Good,” he said with a small smile. Steve sighed and leaned back into his chair thoughtfully. “We’re still going to get plenty of push back about this,” he said, consideringly. Natasha had mentioned it previously at the Inn but he was well aware that the potential severity of the pushback was a glaring unknown. “There will be plenty of people that will not be pleased with this arrangement. Natasha, if you’re agreeable, I would like it if you would relocate to your personal quarters in the castle as soon as you can.”

“You think someone’s going to try something,” she said, eyes narrowed and reading right through him as she had always been able to. “That they’ll attempt to come after me to stop the marriage.”

“I do,” Steve admitted solemnly. 

“We’ve been keeping track of chatter around the castle and we have ears keeping us updated throughout the kingdom,” Tony said. “Aside from the concern about the news from the Northern scouts, there has been speculation about Steve’s future as King. There is a possibility that we might have certain parties interested in using Steve’s chosen bride against him.”

“We’ll touch more on that later,” Steve interjected and met Natasha’s attention evenly. “There is a lot of politics and moving parts going on right now and I will make sure that you’re brought and kept up to date on all of it. But that’s not what we’re here for.”

“But because of that,” Tony said, eyeing Steve in a slightly challenging way. “I believe that it would be safest for everyone that you move into the castle as soon as possible but also that the marriage itself is complete as soon as possible.” Steve had to avert his eyes for a brief moment, chest clenching at the sound of his lover casually discussing his impending marriage with his bride-to-be. He exhaled slowly at the comforting feel of Tony’s leg nudging against his own under the table, the subtle contact provided a much needed ground. 

“Okay,” Natasha said slowly, head tilted in thought. “What sort of expectations am I looking at should I move immediately?”

“Before the wedding, nothing really,” Steve shrugged. “You’ll live here and carry on as you otherwise would. The only difference will be that security will be tighter. We’re taking this potential threat as an active one.” Because it was, even if he hadn’t been able to bring himself to share the more pertinent details of it. “We made this decision to keep everyone safe and this is part of that. I’ve reassigned personal security personnel within the castle and assigned to each of us. Until after the wedding neither of us ought to be travelling alone.”

“Who did you assign to babysit me?” She asked curiously.

Steve’s lips quirked into a small smirk, “Clint and Maria.” Natasha blinked in mild surprise but smiled a slight, grateful smile. “I thought you might be more comfortable with faces you knew. They’ll be with you on a near permanent basis until it’s safe to lessen the presence. I’ll have security on me too, it’s not just on you.”

“Barnes?” Natasha smirked knowingly.

Steve snorted a laugh and grinned, “Do you really think he would allow me to assign anyone else?”

“Not without staging an accident for them and stepping in anyway,” Natasha grinned. The short camaraderie faded after a too brief moment and Natasha sobered. “What about after? What do you expect from me?”

“I expect very little, Natasha,” Steve answered gently. “You’re one of my dearest friends first and foremost. But you’ll also be my wife. We’ll have public engagements where we will have to appear together and so on. You’ll have your pick of projects that you can become involved with should you choose. You’ll have your own wing that will have your personal quarters. The only thing I can think of as an expectation is to talk to me if and when there’s something wrong whether it’s personal, political or policy. Whatever it is. I expect the same for myself.”

Tony cleared his throat uncomfortably but spoke hesitantly, “At some point there  _ may _ be pressure to consider an heir.” Natasha’s eyes narrowed and her jaw clenched. “However, I do believe that as long as you are both in agreement about avoiding sharing that particular aspect of your marriage, there are ways that we might be able to work around that.”

“What do you suggest?” Natasha asked before Steve could speak.

“There are a couple avenues we--you--can go,” Tony said thoughtfully. “The first would be to find a suitable surrogate that we can ensure would remain discreet. It would allow you to present a child to the country and provide an heir that way. We would just have to be cautious to have Natasha and the surrogate out of public eye for the duration of the pregnancy. Not ideal, I’ll give you that, however it is an option.”

“The next would be to groom a younger child from the city to be your successor. If you chose that option, you could potentially utilize one of your humanitarian projects to grow close to the orphanage and become a mentor to one of the children there. It would be a long term project but it would give you the option to have someone who would inherit. With that option, however, you may run into problems with Natasha’s patrons contesting the line as the child would not be of your bloodline.”

“What’s your opinion, Ms Potts?” Natasha asked, tone testing.

“I think…” Pepper paused and scanned Steve, Tony, and then Natasha’s expressions curiously. “I think that’s a decision we can revisit at a later time. The focus of the pressure right now is for the King to marry, partially in an attempt to show stability and recovery for the country. I would think that you would have a couple months at very least before that becomes a concern.”

“Pep’s right,” Tony shrugged. “You will have to think about and discuss it at some point in the near future but you don’t have to think about it just yet.” He winced slightly and shrugged apologetically, “It would be wise to not mention this particular piece when we’re doing formal negotiations with the Council.”

“What would you expect from me, Natasha?” Steve asked carefully.

Natasha shifted in slight discomfort and then said flatly, “I won’t warm your bed.”

“I wouldn’t expect you to,” Steve blinked in surprise, sharing a brief glance with Tony. “Natasha…”

“That’s my expectations, Steve,” She interrupted firmly. “I’m marrying you. I’ll be your wife. I’ll be one of the best damned advisors you could hope for. I won’t be consummating the marriage and I won’t be bearing you an heir. I’ll still be the same woman as your wife as you’ve known since we were children. I expect you to stay the man I’ve always respected. That’s what I expect from you.”

Steve fell silent for a moment and swallowed thickly. Without breaking away from her intense stare, Steve spoke softly, “Tony, Ms Potts, would you mind giving Natasha and I a moment?”

Tony’s hand gently squeezed his knee before he rose from his chair and rounded the table to offer Pepper his arm. Steve barely listened, hearing Tony’s rambling chatter as he marked their progress across the study until the door closed with a quiet click behind them. Steve sighed and reached across the table, hand extended to Natasha. She eyed it hesitantly before placing her own hand in his. Like he had done the previous day at the inn, Steve gently tugged, using the hold on her hand to guide her around the table until she was curled into his lap, exactly as they had done time and time again over the many years that they had known one another.

“Talk to me, Tasha,” he said gently when she was settled. 

“It’s a little terrifying,” she admitted quietly.

“I know,” Steve agreed with a sigh. “I’m scared too.”

“It feels like everything is completely out of my control,” Natasha sighed. “I know it’s the right thing, that I’ve  _ done _ the right thing but it just keeps spiralling.”

“Yeah, I know,” Steve frowned. “And I know there’s a lot of moving parts right now and it feels like we’re both being dragged along for the ride. But...I won’t hurt you, Tasha. You know that, don’t you?”

“Yes, I-I know that but this whole thing…” She grimaced slightly. “I kept holding out hope that it wouldn’t come to this and now I’ve locked us into a position where we have no choice..”

“This isn’t on you,” Steve said firmly. “This has been coming for years now and maybe the pressure is higher now but that was going to happen no matter what you or I did. But we’ll have each other. You’ll have Clint and Maria and Pepper and whoever else you want to bring along with you. You won’t be alone. We’re in this mess together, Tasha.”

Natasha hummed slightly in something like agreement and fell silent, leaning comfortably into Steve’s chest. Steve pulled back slightly, trying to catch her expression when she snorted out a soft laugh. He couldn’t hold back his own chuckle of confused amusement when she descended into an uncharacteristic bout of giggles. 

“Tash?” He asked, nudging her slightly with his arm.

“I just realized that I’m actually going to have to kiss your ugly mug and make it look believable,” she laughed.

Steve grinned at the comment, “Yeah, that’ll be interesting.”

%%%

“Why aren’t you taking this seriously, Steve?” Bucky growled. “This isn’t just passing gossip or pub chatter. This is a legitimate threat.”

“What’s a legitimate threat?” Tony asked cautiously, apparently picking up the urgency in Bucky’s tone.

“Buck,” Steve warned. “That’s not what we’re here for. Is security set for the wedding and is there anything we should be worried about?”

“That’s what I’m telling you,” Bucky protested. “This  _ is _ something we should be concerned with. There is an active, credible threat-- _ against you-- _ that very well could take place on your goddamned wedding day. How is that not relevant?”

Steve sighed and ran a weary hand through his hair before dropping it listlessly back into his lap. “Because we have nothing to go on. No leads. No timeline. No suspects. For all we know it could be passing gossip.”

Bucky looked as though he might actually be on the verge of punching him out of pure frustration but it was Tony’s expression that was more concerning. His dark eyes were flicking back and forth between Steve and Bucky, narrowed and considering as he took in both what was and wasn’t being said. He frowned slightly and glanced across the table where Natasha and Pepper sat, watching the interaction curiously.

Finally, Tony spoke, his tone sharply edged and serious, “Something you want to let us in on Steve?”

“It’s nothing, Tony,” Steve attempted to reassure. “Just more of the same idle threats.”

“Idle threats?” Bucky interjected angrily. Steve tried to cut him off but Bucky’s anger was beyond that and he carried on, raging. “You’ve got someone out there planning your goddamned  _ assassination,  _ you cocky asshole. A legitimate threat, and I’ve proven that to you. And you’re gonna sit there and try’n claim that it’s a fucking idle threat? Say that shit again and I’ll save them the trouble.”

A beat of silence followed Bucky’s words and Steve automatically winced.

“Steve,” Natasha said evenly, the dangerous edge to her tone one that Steve was very familiar with. “Tell me you’ve not been hiding this from all of us. Tony, tell me you knew about this?”

“Nope,” Tony said crisply. “I definitely did  _ not _ know about this. I’m curious, Steve, why don’t I know about this?”

“I didn’t think it was worth worrying you about,” Steve sighed and shot Bucky a glare. 

“How is it something we shouldn’t be worried about?” Natasha frowned. “Get rid of all this marriage bullshit and I’m still your friend, Steve. That matters to me even if it doesn’t to you.”

“Of course it matters, Tash,” Steve argued.

“This isn’t the sort of thing you would normally hide from me or from Tony,” She pointed out.

“Yes it is,” Bucky sighed, leaning heavily into his chair. “We’ve all known each other for too many years for you to think otherwise, Natasha. He’s always going to be the same old self-sacrificing, overprotective idiot that he’s always been. A fucking crown didn’t change that much.”

“So what was your plan to handle this threat then?” Tony asked, eyes not leaving Steve despite the conversation going on around him. He tilted his head and his eyes narrowed again and Steve knew he was caught when Tony shook his head sharply. “No.”

“Tony, it’s the best way to figure out who’s behind this,” Steve pointed out gently. Not to mention, he wasn’t the only one at risk, though he hoped that Bucky at least supported his logic on keeping that aspect quiet.

“It’s  _ a way _ to figure it out,” Bucky argued. 

“I’m sorry but what’s a way to figure it out?” Pepper interjected.

“This idiot wants to use himself as bait,” Natasha explained, glaring at Steve as efficiently as Bucky and Tony were. “Set himself up at the wedding to be a nice shiny target and hope that Barnes and Wilson are quick enough to stop whoever decides it’s a good time to take the shot.”

“I don’t have to hope they’re fast enough,” Steve said evenly. “I know they are.”

“You know, usually that kinda faith in my abilities is flattering,” Bucky commented dryly. “Can’t say this is one of those times.”

Pepper glanced around the table in evident confusion, “I thought you said there was no evidence that it was a credible threat?”

“ _ Steve _ said there was no evidence,” Bucky corrected. “Regardless of how many times I’ve said the opposite. I’ve been doing this job too long to not be able to sort out what’s legit and what isn’t. But if there’s not a smokin’ gun in my hand he ain’t going to take it seriously.”

“What’s the point of having a head of security if you’re not going to take his information seriously?” She asked somewhat rhetorically. 

“Thank you!” Bucky said, throwing his hands up in front of him. Steve really wanted to roll his eyes at the dramatics of the gesture but wisely kept the urge to himself. He wasn’t about to give the entire room more reason to come down on him.

“What information do you have?” Tony asked pointedly.

“Tony,” Steve began before immediately falling silent at the dark glare the man sent him.

Bucky eventually ducked out of the study to bring Sam into their discussion. The conversation and planning session went well into the night with only a few breaks when Steve would call for food to be delivered and left at the study door rather than brought in and served. 

If it weren’t his wedding and potential death combined into one that they were discussing, Steve thought it was almost like when they were all young. Settling in on various surfaces discussing various odds and ends of how ‘they would do things if…’. The day dreams of kids. Pepper might be a new addition to the small group and Tony had only begun coming along after their father’s had both passed, but it was close enough to the childhood memories to make Steve want to smile fondly. It wasn’t that but somehow it was...it was always going to be a pleasant memory. 

Steve didn’t let his mind linger on how it very well might be a short-term memory.

**Author's Note:**

> Come say hello on [Tumblr](https://alwaysabrighterdarkness.tumblr.com/)!


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